“Karen Sisco,” ABC, Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Telltale quote: “For such a memorable person, you’ve got a rather forgettable name. Maybe that’s why there aren’t any songs about girls named Karen.”

Overview: Carla Gugino (“Spy Kids”) stars in the TV version of the movie “Out of Sight” as Karen Sisco, a tough U.S. Marshall in Miami. It’s no surprise that ABC is promoting the female lead as another Jennifer Garner/Sydney Bristow type – both characters have the same no-nonsense dedication to their jobs and the self-defense training to bring any man to his knees.
    But unlike Sydney Bristow, Karen Sisco is more realistically represented. In the pilot episode, she loses a prisoner after he tricks her into thinking he’s another federal agent. She reacts by admitting how foolish she feels, a move that serves to elicit audience empathy and establish her character as strong but fallible. 
   Sisco’s personal life isn’t perfect either. She battles with a tumultuous love life that rivals her dangerous career.  Her moves are always under the watchful eye of her dad, a private investigator whose constant worry about his daughter won’t dissuade her from continuing in her line of work. 
    The pilot features a host of special guests, including Peter Horton (“thirtysomething”), Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke (both from “24”), Carlos Ponce, Jake Busey and Martha Plimpton, whose portrayal of a bitter, blind woman is a far cry from the annoying teenager she played in 1985’s “The Goonies.” Executive producer Danny DeVito is also expected to appear in a future episode with wife Rhea Perlman.

Verdict: “Karen Sisco” is likely to appeal to a mix of audiences and capture those who enjoy fast-paced actions like “Alias” as well as more dramatic series like “Judging Amy.” Carla Gugino is perfectly cast as a woman who balances her sex appeal, street smarts, instincts and flawed judgment in both her professional and personal lives, and this appeal will be the main draw for audiences. 
    The show might get a rocky start as it struggles to find its place opposite Wednesday night behemoth “Law & Order,” but “Karen Sisco” is a strong contender for a close second place in the 10 p.m. timeslot, especially with CBS’s competing “Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.” already flailing.

By John Rash

“Karen Sisco,” ABC, Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

    A small-screen version of Jennifer Lopez's big-screen hit “Out of Sight,” Karen Sisco has more in common with J.Lo's “Gigli,” the box-office bomb that detonated on this summer's screens.
    This is mostly due to the title character, as “Karen Sisco” is heavy on action but light on acting, which makes her so remote and inaccessible that viewers are left (whichever few are left) to wonder if they should make any emotional attachment to her. The unlikable Sisco kin don't help either, as her father plays an equally cold cop and her boyfriend -- a married man -- fails to inspire any warmth for either his or her character.
    Most deadly for ABC, “Karen Sisco” shoots it out with NBC's “Law & Order,” a serial series killer uncaught by competitors. Perhaps ABC should have remade “Maid in Manhattan” instead. After “Gigli,” J. Lo may soon be looking for work (if one believes the tabloids, it may be a bit insensitive to start negotiations to do a remake of “The Wedding Planner”).

For past Media Life reviews of the new fall shows, click below.

NBC's "Miss Match"

CBS's "Joan of Arcadia"

ABC's "Hope & Faith"

CBS's "The Handler"

NBC's "Coupling"

CBS's "Brotherhood of Poland, N.H."

CBS's "Navy NCIS"

ABC's "I'm With Her"

WB's "One Tree Hill"

NBC's "Las Vegas"

CBS's "Two and a Half Men"

WB's "Like Family"

Fox's "Luis"

ABC's "Threat Matrix"

UPN's "All of Us," "Rock Me Baby"

UPN's "Eve"

WB's "All About the Andersons"

WB's "Steve Harvey's Big Time"
WB's "Run of the House"
UPN's "The Mullets"

UPN's "Jake 2.0"

NBC's "Whoopi"
NBC's "Happy Family"

A.J. Livsey's fall season overview